Ball scoop



March 8, 1966 R. N. DUPONT 3,239,264

BALL SCOOP Filed March 25. 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,239,264 BALL SCOOP Robert N. Dupont, 14 HiltonAve., Worcester, Mass. Snbstituted for abandoned application Ser. No.105,106, Apr. 24, 1961. This application Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 356,351

5 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) This application is a substitute Iapplication forapplicants abandoned application iled April 24, 1961, Serial No.105,106.

The present invention relates to a ball scoop or ball pick-up device,and more particularly to a device for use in picking up a ball such as agolf ball.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a ball pick-updevice which is adapted to be attached to an end of a golf club Iso thatfor example after a ball has been putted into a cup, the usual positionof the golf club can .be reversed in order to permit the scoop of thepresent invention to be used for conveniently picking up the ball fromthe cup without the necessity of bending over and manually retrieving orpicking up the ball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball pick-updevice which consists of a member that is adapted to be readily attachedto an end `of a golf club, and wherein the pick-up device of the presentinvention may be made of an integral construction so that it embodies aresilient or yieldable sleeve having an integral chink with a generallycircular ball pick-up member integral therewith, or else the ballpick-up device may be made in the form of a yieldable sleeve having aseparate shank portion 4or support member aiiixed thereto and with thecircular element formed integral with Ior secured to the shank portionas desired or required.

Still another object is to provide such a ball pick-up device of thetype stated that can be used with different types of articles such asvarious types of golf clubs r the like, and wherein the ball pick-updevice of the present invention is economical to manufacture and efcientin operation and which is rugged in structure and foolproof in Iuse.

Another .object is to provide a device of the character described thatmay be utilized speedily and with precision by even inexperiencedoperators.

Further objects and advantages are to provide improved elements andarrangements thereof in a device of the character described that iseconomical to produce, durable in form, and conducive to the mosteconomical use of materials and uniformity `of members formed therefrom.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent in thesubsequent description in 'the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view illustrating a golf club equipped withthe ball pick-up device or scoop of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the ball pick-up deviceseparated or detached from the golf club handle.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view taken at right angles to the view shownin FIGURE 2 and showing the ball pick-up device or scoop per se.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the ball pick-up device of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the use of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away andin section, illustrating a modication.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1through 5 of the drawings, the

ice

numeral 1li indicates a conventional golf club such as a putter whichincludes the shaft 11 that has a grip 12 on one end thereof, and thegolf club lil is further provided with the usual head 13.

According to the present invention there is provided a ball pick-updevice or scoop which is indicated generally by the numeral 14, and theball pick-up device 14 embodies a sleeve 27 that is adapted to beconveniently and snugly mounted on an end of the grip 12, and as shownin FIGURE 2 for example the sleeve 27 of the ball pick-up device 14 isshaped to include an annular wall portion 15 as well as a Hat wallsection 16, and the wall section 16 thus closes oif yone end of thesleeve 27 while the other end of the sleeve is open. The interior of thesleeve 27 is shaped to define a chamber or recess 17 which has agenerally tapered formation so that the portion of the chamber 17 in thevicinity of the open end as indicated by the numeral 1S is of lessdiameter than the portion of the chamber 17 in the vicinity of the wallsection 16 in order to insure that the sleeve 27 will tit snugly on thegrip 12.

The numeral Ztl indicates a shank portion or support portion which isadapted to be secured to the wall section 16 as for example by means ofsuitable securing elements such as a bolt and nut assembly 21, and thenumeral 22 indicates a generally circular bracket or scoop element whichis secured to or formed integral with the shank portion 20, and as shownin the drawings the bracket 22 is arranged angularly with respect to thewall section 16. The bracket or scoop element 22 has a generally hollowformation and wherein there is defined or provided opposed openings 24and 23 which dene a tapered configuration for the scoop element 22, andthe scoop element 22 thus has an inner generally tapered seat 25 forsnugly engaging or receiving a ball such as the golf ball 26 which maybe positioned in a cup such as the cup 28 that is arranged in the ground29 in the usual manner, FIGURE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 of the drawings there is illustrated amodified ball pick-up device which is indicated generally by the numeral14', and it will be seen that the ball pick-up device has a unitaryconstruction and is adapted to be made of a suitable yieldable orresilient material such as a suitable rubber or plastic substance. Theball pick-up device 14 is shown to comprise a sleeve 27 that has thesame general construction and purpose as the previously described sleeve27, and the sleeve 27 includes an open end, while the opposite end ofthe sleeve 27 is closed by the Wall section 16, and the numeral 20indicates a shank that is formed integral with the wall section 16'. Arounded or generally circular bracket or scoop element 22' is formedintegral with the wall section 16. A rounded or genis arranged at anangle with respect to the wall section 16 so as to facilitate thepicking up of a ball such as the golf ball 26 whereby it will not benecessary for the player to bend over and pick-up the ball si-nce thegolf club with the present invention mounted thereon can simply bereversed and the ball can thus be readily retrieved or picked-up fromthe cup in which it is positioned. The sleeve and shank and scoopelement of the device of FIGURE 6 may all be made of a suitable materialsuch as rubber or plastic, while in FIGURES 1 through 5, the sleeve 27may be made of a yieldable material, but the shank 2li and scoop element22 may be made of metal or lthe like.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a ballpick-up device which is especially suitable for use with a golf club,and in use with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, and inparticular as shown in FIGURES l through 5 of the drawings, it will beseen that the ball pick-up device includes the sleeve that is providedwith the inner chamber 17 which is of a size to snugly receive andengage the upper end of the gripping portion 12 of the golf club 10, andsince the sleeve is made of a yieldable or resilient material, it willhave la tendency to remain in its proper position on the golf club grip.Also, the chamber 17 is tapered so as to conform to the usual taperedconfiguration of the grip 12, and the wall section 16 functions as astop member to prevent the sleeve from being pushed down too far on thegrip 12. The shank 20 is adapted to be secured to the wall section 16 asat 21, and the scoop element 22 is formed integral with or secured tothe outer portion of the shank 20, and the scoop element 22 is arrangedat an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, as forexample as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, so that when a ball such as thegolf ball 26 is to be retrieved or picked up from the cup 28, and withthe device of the present invention mounted on the golf club, the golfclub can be reversed from its usual playing position to a position suchas that shown in FIGURE 5. With the parts in the position as shown inFIGURE 5, the scoop element 22 can be arranged in engagement with thegolf ball 26, and the scoop element 22 is of a size in configurationwith the golf ball 26 will be snugly held and seated therein wherebyupon lifting of the golf club the golf ball will be lifted so that itcan be readily manually removed from the member or element 22 and thenthe golf ball can be used again in the usual manner. Thus, the presentinvention eliminates the necessity of bending over and manually pickingup the golf ball from a golf cup such as the cup 28 In the modificationof FIGURE 6, the ball pick-up device is shown made of a unitary integralone piece formation and wherein the entire device may be made of asuitable resilient material such as hard rubber, plastic or a suitablecomposition or the like, and the device of FIGURE 6 is adapted to beused in substantially the same manner Aas the previously described ballpick-up device of FIGURES 1 through 5. The scoop element 22', by beingmade of a yieldable material provides an improved gripping surface for agolf ball 26 so as to facilitate the scooping up or picking up of theball from the golf cup. In both forms of the invention the scoop element22 or 22 is arranged at such an angle that when the golf club isreversed and positioned as shown in FIGURE 5, the scoop element will beable to engage behind or below the golf `ball in order to convenientlyor readily remove or pick-up the golf ball from the cup.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapesor sizes.

The ball pick-up device of FIGURE 6 which is adapted to be made in oneunit can be made of a suitable plastic such as polyethylene.

In both forms of the invention the ball pick-up device consists of asleeve for attaching the scoop to the golf club, and the sleeve isadapted to be slid or positioned over the end of a golf club -such as aputter so that it is conveniently ready for use. After a golfer puts hisball in the hole, the golfer reverses the club and scoops the ball outof the hole, and with the present invention positioned on the golf club,it is of such a size and shape that it will not interfere with thegolfer while in play.

Some of the advantages of the present invention are that it willfacilitate the playing of a game of golf since it will not be necessaryto bend down to pick the ball up at every hole, and in addition thepresent invention will facilitate the playing of golf by older personswho still get around and enjoy the game. The present invention can bemade of metal, plastic, wire or the like.

.With further reference to the device of FIGURES 1 through 5, it will beseen that the securing element 21 embodies a flat head bolt, FIGURE 2,and the head of the bolt is on the inside with the nut on the outside sothat there will be no damage done to the golf club when the device isattached to the golf club. In addition the present invention can bereadily put on and taken off of the club very easily by slipping therubber sleeve on or off the club.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed in detail, it will be obvious that the invention may beotherwise embodied and the dimensions and interelation of parts changedso long as the objects of the invention are attained.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ball pick-up device for a golf club of the type that includes ashaft having a grip on one end thereof and a head on the other endthereof, said ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldablematerial shaped to include an annular wall portion which has an innerchamber for snugly receiving the outer end portion of the grip, one endof said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portionof said sleeve, a shank member affixed to said wall section, and acircular scoop element affixed to said shank member with the center ofsaid element in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of saidsleeve.

2. In a ball pick-up device for a golf club of the type that includes ashaft having a grip on one end thereof and a head on the other endthereof, said ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldablematerial shaped to include an annular wall portion which has an innerchamber for snugly receiving the outer end portion of the grip, one endof said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portionof said sleeve, a shank member affixed to said wall section, and acircular scoop element affixed to said shank member, said scoop elementbeing arranged angularly with respect to said wall section with thecenter of said element in substantial alignment with the longitudinalaxis of said sleeve.

3. In a ball pick-up device for a golf club of the type that includes ashaft having a grip on one end thereof and a head on the other endthereof, said ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldablematerial shaped to include an annular wall portion which has an innerchamber for snugly receiving the outer end portion of the grip, one endof said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portionof said sleeve, a shank member affixed to said wall section, and acircular scoop element atiixed to said shank member, said scoop elementbeing arranged angularly with respect to said wall section with thecenter of said element in substantial alignment with the longitudinalaxis of said sleeve, said scoop element having an inner tapered seat forsnugly receiving therein a portion of a golf ball, and wherein thediameter of the seat is less than the maximum diameter of the golf ballbeing picked up.

4. A ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldable materialshaped to include an annular wall portion which provides an innerchamber that has a tapered formation, one end of said sleeve being open,a wall section closing the other end portion of the sleeve, the portionof the chamber in the vicinity of the wall section being of greaterdiameter than the portion of the chamber remote from the wall section, ashank member affixed to said wall section, with the center of saidelement in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of saidsleeve, and a circular scoop element affixed to said shank member, saidscoop element being arranged angularly with respect to said wallsection, said scoop element Ihaving a generally tapered inner seatthereon.

5. As a new article of manufacture, ia golf ball pick-up devicefabricated of a single piece of yieldable material and shaped to includea sleeve which embodies an annular wall portion, one end of the sleevebeing open and the other end of the sleeve being closed by a flat wallsection, a shank integral with said wall section, and a generallycircular scoop element integral with said shank, said scoop element,being arranged angularly with respect to said 5 6 Wall section, With thecenter of said element in substan- References Cited bythe Examiner tialalignment with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve, UNITED STATESPATENTS said scoop element having 'an inner tapered seat for snugly 1674 294 6/1928 Rourke 294 19 receiving and engaging a ball to beretrieved or picked 214321906 12/1947 ming1er 294 19 up, and wherein thediameter of the seat is less than the 5 maximum diameter of the ballbeing picked up. GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A BALL PICK-UP DEVICE FOR A GOLF CLUB OF THE TYPE THAT INCLUDES ASHAFT HAVING A GRIP ON ONE END THEREOF AND A HEAD ON THE OTHER ENDTHEREOF, SAID BALL PICK-UP DEVICE COMPRISING A SLEEVE OF YIELDABLEMATERIAL SHAPED TO INCLUDE AN ANNULAR WALL PORTION WHICH HAS AN INNERCHAMBER FOR SNUGLY RECEIVING THE OUTER END PORTION OF THE GRIP, ONE ENDOF SAID SLEEVE BEING OPEN, A WALL SECTION CLOSING THE OTHER END PORTIONOF SAID SLEEVE, A SHANK MEMBER AFFIXED TO SAID WALL SECTION, AND ACIRCULAR SCOOP ELEMENT AFFIXED TO SAID SHANK MEMBER WITH THE CENTER OFSAID ELEMENT IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAIDSLEEVE.